Bitcoin continues to struggle as it attempts to reclaim the $90,000 level, 
with traders facing a market defined by hesitation rather than conviction. 
After yesterday’s bearish breakdown below $90K, price action has slipped back 
into indecisive territory, raising fresh questions about whether this pullback 
is a temporary shakeout or the start of a deeper corrective phase. Related 
Reading: XRP Distribution Phase Continues, But Funding Rates Suggest Shorts 
Are Overextended According to top analyst Axel Adler, a macro indicator called 
Trend Pulse helps explain why momentum has faded. Adler notes that since 
January 19, the market has remained in Bear Mode, with the Bull phase absent 
for 83 consecutive days. Two separate charts reinforce this shift, showing 
that both short-term momentum and quarterly performance have turned negative 
at the same time. Trend Pulse recently shifted from Neutral to Bear, driven by 
a double-negative setup: the 14-day return has flipped red, and the SMA30 
versus SMA200 trend signal is also negative. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s quarterly 
return sits at -19%, confirming macro weakness, but without the kind of 
extreme that often signals a definitive bottom. Bitcoin Remains Stuck In Bear 
Mode As Macro Signals Stay Negative Adler notes that Bitcoin’s last Bull Mode 
signal was printed on November 2, 2025, when BTC traded near $110,000—roughly 
83 days ago. Since then, the market has failed to regain structural strength. 
Even the Neutral stretch between December 30 and January 18 proved too short 
and too weak to restore the long-term trend, leaving Bitcoin vulnerable once 
selling pressure returned. Adler explains that the first trigger for 
improvement is the 14-day return moving back above 0, which would shift the 
regime from Bear to Neutral. However, a full transition back into Bull Mode 
requires a second condition: SMA30 breaking above SMA200. Given the current 
divergence between the two averages, that crossover would likely demand 3–4 
weeks of sustained upside rather than a short-lived bounce. The Bitcoin Price 
Performance chart adds macro context by tracking quarterly return (90D) as a 
sentiment proxy. Historically, readings above +75% align with euphoria, while 
values below 0% signal pessimism, and drops below -30% reflect capitulation. 
Bitcoin’s quarterly return sits near -19%, negative but far from deep bear- 
market extremes. Yet the 7-day change (-6.8%) suggests downside momentum is 
accelerating after the $90K breakdown. Together, Trend Pulse and quarterly 
returns point to moderate pessimism without final capitulation, leaving the 
market at a decision point. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Profit Stalls 
At 71%: Still Not Enough For A Sustainable Recovery BTC Moving Averages Cap 
Recovery Bitcoin is trading near $89,000 after failing to hold above the 
$90,000 psychological level, reinforcing the market’s current indecision. The 
chart shows BTC printing a lower-high structure since the early November peak, 
followed by a sharp selloff that reset price into a wide consolidation range. 
After bottoming in late November, Bitcoin rebounded but struggled to build 
sustained momentum, repeatedly stalling on push attempts toward the mid-$90K 
zone. From a trend perspective, BTC remains pressured beneath its key moving 
averages. Price is trading below the green long-term average and the blue mid- 
term average, both of which are now sloping downward, signaling that broader 
momentum continues to lean bearish. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Power Shift: 
New Whales Now Control The Market The most recent rejection occurred as BTC 
briefly pushed into the $95K–$97K area, only to roll over and break back down 
toward the range lows. Meanwhile, the red long-term average remains well above 
price near the low-$100Ks, highlighting how far BTC would need to recover to 
reestablish a stronger macro uptrend. Volume has picked up on selloffs 
relative to bounces, suggesting that downside moves are still being met with 
more urgency. For bulls, reclaiming $90K and then holding above $92K–$94K is 
key. Otherwise, the chart keeps risk open for a deeper pullback toward the 
mid-$80K region. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin Stuck In Bear Mode For 83 Days: Trend Pulse Confirms Structural Weakness

The amendments marked the latest Democratic Party-driven push to prevent US 
officials from profiting off of crypto interests.

Democrats file ethics-focused amendments to crypto market structure bill

Bitcoin’s push to $97,600 last week drew a burst of bullish options activity, 
but Glassnode argues the derivatives tape looked more like short-dated 
positioning than broad-based conviction. In a Jan. 23 thread, the on-chain 
analytics firm pointed to a split between front-end call demand and longer- 
dated risk pricing that stayed anchored in downside protection. “Let’s deep 
dive into options market behavior during last week’s move to 97.6K, and how 
options metrics help gauge conviction behind the move,” Glassnode wrote. The 
core takeaway: upside flow showed up, but it didn’t meaningfully change how 
the market priced risk further out the curve. What Bitcoin Traders Can Learn 
From Last Week&#8217;s Rally Glassnode first focused on near-term skew. Around mid- 
January, BTC rose roughly 8% over a few days, and the 1-week 25-delta skew 
moved sharply toward neutral from “deep put territory.” That kind of front-end 
shift can look like a market flipping bullish—until you check whether the same 
repricing is happening in longer expiries. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Selling 
Off On Quantum Fears? A Reality Check “Careful though,” Glassnode warned. 
“Near-dated call demand is often misread as directional conviction.” The 
thread paired that point with flow data: the options volume put/call ratio 
dropped from 1 to 0.4, signaling a surge in call activity. But, as Glassnode 
framed it, the question is not whether calls were bought, but how short-dated 
that demand actually was. The longer-dated picture was notably less 
enthusiastic. Glassnode said the 1-month 25-delta skew “only moved from 7% to 
4% at the low,” staying in put asymmetry even as the 1-week skew fell from 8% 
to 1%. On the 3-month 25-delta skew, the shift was even smaller (less than 
1.5%) and it “stayed firmly in put territory,” continuing to price asymmetric 
downside. For Glassnode, that divergence matters because it separates “flow” 
from “risk pricing.” Upside participation can be real, but if the market does 
not reprice skew across maturities, it suggests traders are not extending that 
optimism into a higher-conviction, longer-horizon view. Related Reading: 
Bitcoin’s Power Shift: New Whales Now Control The Market The volatility tape 
reinforced the same message. “Layering in ATM implied volatility, we see vol 
being sold as price moved higher,” Glassnode wrote. “Gamma sellers monetized 
the rally. This is not the volatility behavior typically associated with 
sustained breakouts.” That combination: front-end call demand alongside vol 
supply can align with tactical positioning rather than a regime change. It can 
also leave spot moves more vulnerable if follow-through buying does not 
materialize once short-dated structures roll off. Glassnode closed with a 
checklist for what a cleaner breakout would look like: “An ideal breakout 
setup combines spot pressing key levels, skew pointing higher with conviction 
across maturities, and volatility being bid. Last week’s move didn’t meet 
those conditions.” For traders watching whether BTC can revisit $97,600, the 
thread’s implication is straightforward: monitor whether longer-dated skew 
begins to lift out of put territory and whether implied volatility starts to 
get bid, not sold, as spot tests key levels again. At press time, BTC traded 
at $89,297. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Can Bitcoin Revisit $97,600? Glassnode Says Watch This

Bitcoin is under pressure as crypto markets enter a volatile correction driven 
by geopolitical tensions, Federal Reserve leadership uncertainty, and delayed 
U.S. regulation, amplifying short-term risk without undermining long-term 
adoption trends. Markets Weigh Fed Chair Outcomes While Bitcoin Navigates a 
Macro-Driven Pullback A period of heightened uncertainty has emerged across 
digital asset markets as macroeconomic […]

Bitcoin Enters Correction as Geopolitical Tensions and Fed Succession Uncertainty Rise

Litecoin is once again at a critical crossroads, with its long-term structure 
remaining intact after years of successful defenses. However, the margin for 
error is thin. As price hovers near key levels, $63 has emerged as the line 
bulls must protect. A break below it could shift momentum sharply, while 
holding above keeps the broader bullish structure alive and sets the stage for 
the next decisive move. Structure Gives Way, Expansion Phase Begins Columbus&#8217;s 
latest LTC update highlights that the multi-year compression that previously 
capped price action has finally resolved, resulting in a clean break of the 
long-term chart setup. This structural change confirms a shift from a neutral 
state to a clearly bullish one. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Litecoin Price 
May Be Getting Ready For Another Massive Rally The current price action is 
described as a pause before expansion rather than the conclusion of the rally. 
In this phase, Litecoin is holding steady above old resistance levels, 
allowing the market to load for the next leg of the move, turning previous 
barriers into new support. Litecoin’s projected path forward is based on the 
typical behavior of expansion cycles following structural breaks. The strategy 
follows a clear three-step progression: the initial breakout, followed by the 
current phase of acceptance. Once the market fully accepts these new price 
levels, the &#8220;real move&#8221; begins, representing a phase where the most 
significant gains are expected to materialize. The 9-Year Trendline That Still 
Controls Litecoin Matthew Dixon highlighted the immense historical 
significance of the Litecoin long-term trend line. This line has acted as an 
unbreakable floor for nine years, with the price never closing below it. While 
the market has dipped under this line multiple times in the past, every 
attempt to break down has ultimately failed, maintaining a remarkably 
consistent structural defense. Related Reading: Litecoin Follows Bitcoin’s 
Momentum, But Resistance Looms At $79.60 Currently, the market environment is 
putting this nearly decade-long support to the test once again. Dixon 
emphasizes that we cannot rely on intra-month volatility to determine the 
outcome. Instead, the definitive signal rests solely on the monthly candle 
close. This closing price will serve as a macro-economic pivot point that 
dictates the primary direction for the coming months. A successful hold above 
the trend line would be a powerful bullish confirmation, suggesting the long- 
term uptrend remains intact despite external pressures. Conversely, a 
confirmed close below this line would shift the narrative to bearish, marking 
a historic breakdown of a nine-year support system. Specific technical 
triggers are also in play, particularly the $63 level. Dixon warns that 
falling below $63 would be devastating, as it would effectively nullify the 
hidden bullish divergence currently supporting the price. Given these risks, 
Dixon recommends exercising patience until the monthly close or ensuring 
strict stop losses are in place for any active trades. Featured image from 
Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Cryptocurrency price in KWD